SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kite Pharma, Inc. (Kite), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT) products for the treatment of cancer, today announced the Company will provide details on key features of the rapid, 6-day manufacturing process that is expected to underlie its most advanced personalized cancer immunotherapy program. The technology is expected to underpin a Kite clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a highly refractory and aggressive blood cancer, which Kite expects to commence in early 2015. Elements of Kite's manufacturing process will be featured in a poster presentation during the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), taking place in Chicago, May 30 to June 3, 2014.

About Kite PharmaKite Pharma, Inc., is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapy products, with a primary focus on eACT designed to restore the immune system's ability to recognize and eradicate tumors. In partnership with the NCI Surgery Branch through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), Kite is advancing a pipeline of proprietary eACT product candidates, both CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) and TCR (T cell receptor) products, directed to a wide range of cancer indications. Kite's management team has a proven track record of building successful biotechnology companies and successfully developing novel immunotherapies and other oncology treatments. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA.